Corpse-preserving coffins



April 1, 1969 J. P. BERNARD l 3,435,494

coRPsE-PRESERVING COFFINS Filed July 12, 1965 v Z6 Z5 27 m/enor;

United States -Patent O 3,435,494 CORPSE-PRESERVING COFFINS Julien Pothier Bernard, Grande Rue, Mesves-sur-Loire, Nievre, France Filed July 12, 1965, Ser. No. 471,099 Claims priority, appliggt'itn7 1France, Oct. 9, 1964,

1m. c1. A61g 17/00 U.S. Cl. 27-11 2 'Claims ABSTRACT F THE DISCLOSURE This invention relates to a transportable sealed corpsepreserving cofiin constructed, for example, of metal and so designed as to make it possible, on the one hand, to :reduce or eliminate the evolution of decomposition gases and, on the other hand, to permit the evacuation of gases of this type which might be evolved in spite of the ar- Irangements made.

The cofiin as thus constructed comprises, in combinartion with means for ensuring leak-tightness, an automatic gas-escape valve with filter and calibrated or adjustable gate, and an internal capsule which is in communication with the internal chamber of the coffin. Within said capsule there is placed a closed cartridge containing a substance which is capable of giving off a gas other than oxygen and means operable from the exterior for initiat- -ing the opening of the cartridge.

The invention will be more readily understood from .fthe following description which is given solely by way of Iexample and not in any limiting sense, reference being made to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a schematic side view, with portions broken away, of a corpse-preserving coiiin designed in accordance with the invention;

FIG. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of a valve for ythe coffin, with a filter; and FIG. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view of a capsule gfor the cofiin, fitted with a gas cartridge.

Referring to FIG. 1, it can be seen that a metal coin a is provided with a lid b which is fixed to a bottom por- |tion c with interposition of a sealing joint d, there being secured to respective portions 3 and 21 of the coffin walls an automatic valve e and a valve casing f comprising gasescape means (FIGS. 2 and 3, respectively).

The valve e, illustrated in FIG. 2, comprises a body 1 containing a valve gate and fixed wit-hin a casing 2 which is fixed to the coffin wall 3 and which terminates at the end portion thereof in a filter 17 through which the evolved gases are permitted to escape.

The body 1 is fixed within the casing 2 by means of a nut 6 which is screwed onto an externally threaded tube 4, the extremity of which constitutes a valve seat. The valve e includes a piston 7 which is fitted with a plug 8 either of rubber or suitable plastic material, the rod 9 of which is guided by its passage through a clamping nut 10, a spring 11 being interposed between the head of the piston 7 and said clamping nut. Under these conditions, the force with which the piston 7 is applied against its 3,435,494 Patented Apr. l, 1969 ICC seat is easily regulated or adjusted by tightening or slackening off the nut 10. A lock-nut 12 serves to secure the piston-rod in a chosen position. Thus the gate for the gas-escape valve is pre-settable.

The casing 2 comprises the filter 17 formed of a number of filtering layers placed between a metallic screen 13 and a perforated wall portion 14. In the example which is illustrated, the casing 2 together with its filter 17 is joined to the wall 3 by means of a weld bead 16 and the perforated wall portion 14 of the coffin is fixed by means of screws 15 in a manner which permits the ready removal of said wall portion 14 for the purpose of positioning the filtering layers.

In the example shown, the layers inside the filter 17 comprise a flexible layer or sheath of woven cotton fabric, a layer of absorbent activated charcoal and a layer of vegetable sponge impregnated with chlorophyll.

Thus, in the event of overpressure within the coffin a above a predetermined value, the valve gate e opens and the gases are discharged through the filter 17, any unpleasant odor being nevertheless absorbed.

The cofiin a is additionally provided with a device as shown in FIG. 3 which projects within the interior and which is fixed to the cofin wall 21, the purpose of said device being to reduce or prevent putrefaction processes. In this example, said device comprises a casing or capsule 20 which is secured, for example by welding, to the wall 21 of the coffin, inside this latter. Said casing 20 is pierced by a certain number of holes or perforations 22 and is provided internally with a tubular sleeve 23 which is provided at the inner end with perforations or drilled holes 24. There is thus formed between the casing 20 and the sleeve 23 an expansion chamber 25.

The sleeve 23 is intended to receive a cartridge or `capsule 26 containing a gas which it is desired to introduce therein, for example compressed carbon dioxide gas. Said cartridge is fitted with an end-piece 27 which is closed ofi by an end-wall, diaphragm 28 or other frangible element formed, for example, of plastic material, and the sleeve 23 is provided, on the one hand, with a pointed stud 29 and, on the other hand, with an internal screw-thread 30. By tightening a nut 31 within the threaded portion 30, the cartridge 26 is shifted further inside and the pointed stud 29 is thus caused to perforate the diaphragm 28. The gas accordingly flows into the cofiin a after expansion within the chamber 25. The air contained within the cofiin is thus progressively driven through the automatic valve e.

As soon as the evolution of gas stops, the automatic valve closes again and the coffin then contains only inert gas mixed with a small proportion of remaining air. In order to ensure that the proportion of oxygen which remains is suiciently low, it is merely necessary to design the capacity of the capsule 26 accordingly or to provide a number of devices instead of only one, for discharging gases.

This replacement of oxygen by another neutral gas has the effect of reducing or even of preventing decomposition processes.

Instead of an inert gas, the gas which is given off can have antiseptic properties.

What I claim is:

1. A corpse-preserving cofiin having walls as well as a well sealing lid and comprising, in combination, an automatic gas-escape valve, one of said walls having first perforations therein, a filter interposed between said valve and said perforations for communication between said valve and the exterior of the cofiin, an adjustable gate for said valve, a capsule having second perforations therein, projecting from another one of said walls toward the interior of the cofiin and being in communication therewith through said second perforations, the aforenamed valve, lter, gate and capsule being secured inside the coin, a cartridge lodged in said capsule and containing a substance capable of giving oil a gas which does not promote decomposition processes, said cartridge having a portion closed off by a frangible element, means for perforating said frangible element, so as to release said gas, and an actuating member for said perforating means, said member being the only part projecting outside the con.

2. A corpse-preserving coln having walls as well as a well sealing lid and comprising, in combination, an automatic gas-escape valve, a lter connected between the outlet of the latter and the exterior of the cotn, an adjustable gate for said valve, a `capsule having perforations therein, projecting from one of said walls toward the interior of the coffin and being in communication therewith through said perforations, a sleeve within said capsule and having holes therein, a cartridge lodged in said sleeve and containing a substance capable of giving oi a gas which does not promote decomposition processes, said cartridge having a portion closed olf by a frangible element, and means operable from the eX- terior for perforating said frangible element, wherein said perforating means includes a pointed stud disposed opposite said frangble element internally at one end of said sleeve and a screw at the other end of said sleeve, said screw being operable from the exterior for t-he purpose of pressing said cartridge against said stud so as to perforate said frangible element and thereby open said cartridge.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,700,801 2/1929 Kipp 27-35 2,545,060 3/1951 Warrick 27--11 XR 2,665,471 l/ 1954 Gould 27-35 2,882,584 4/1959 Kidd 27--11 FOREIGN PATENTS 1,049,052 1/ 1959 Germany.

20 WILL E. KAMM, Primary Examiner.

U.S. Cl. X.R. 52-130 gggo UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent No. 51I5,49l+ Dated April 1` 1969 Inventor) Bernard Julien Potnier It is certified that error appears in the above-identified patent and that said Letters Patent are hereby corrected a's shown below:

The inventor's name should read correctly:

in the heading of the patent (above the drawing):

B, J, POTHIER instead of "J. P. BERNARD"; and

in the inner heading oi' the patent (above the description):

-- Bernard Julien Pothier instead of "Julien Potnier Bernard".

SIGNED AND SEALED O FEB 241970 (SEAL) Ausl: JR

Ir. WILLIAM E. souum. WIT Gmis'sioner of Pauls Auestng 0 

